House panel urged to probe P12.3-B COA-flagged DepEd funds

A HOUSE leader on Tuesday urged the House Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the Commission on Audit’s (COA) findings on PHP12.3 billion in alleged unsettled financial transactions at the Department of Education (DepEd) during Vice President Sara Duterte's tenure as secretary.

In a news release, House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun said the COA's findings would strengthen the impeachment case against Duterte.

Khonghun was pertaining to COA’s 2023 audit report that flagged DepEd’s alleged failure to resolve notices of suspension, disallowance, and charge, which grew from PHP11.4 billion in 2022 to PHP12.3 billion by the end of Duterte’s tenure as education secretary in June last year.

“The red flags keep piling up. First, it was PHP125 million in confidential funds spent in just 11 days at the Office of the Vice President. Now, COA has flagged over PHP12 billion in unresolved transactions at DepEd under Duterte’s leadership. This isn’t just an oversight - it’s a pattern of seemingly financial mismanagement,” Khonghun said.

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which is the lower chamber's version of the Blue Ribbon panel, has previously investigated the OVP’s use of confidential funds, which included PHP125 million in spending within an 11-day period in December 2022.

The panel also examined DepEd’s PHP112.5-million confidential fund, where the Philippine Statistics Authority found discrepancies in listed recipients' birth records.

These inquiries contributed to the impeachment complaints against Duterte.

On Feb. 5, the House impeached Duterte, making her the first Philippine vice president to face such proceedings.

Khonghun said the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, may subpoena Duterte’s financial records for further scrutiny.

“The COA report is just the tip of the iceberg. We need to follow the money. If the Vice President has nothing to hide, she should have no problem opening her financial records for scrutiny,” he said.

He also urged the Senate impeachment court to ensure full transparency in the proceedings.

“This COA report is damning. It exposes large-scale financial mismanagement in an agency with the largest budget in government. VP Sara must explain these findings, and the Senate must ensure accountability at the highest levels,” Khonghun said. (Filane Mikee Cervantes)